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On July 19, Dr. Kathleen Plinske began as Valencia Community College’s new provost of the Osceola Campus and Valencia at Lake Nona High School.

“I am truly delighted to have the opportunity to join Valencia,” said Plinske. “They’ve earned a national reputation for creating a learner-centered environment focused on student success, and it will be a privilege to provide leadership for the Osceola Campus.”

Prior to coming to Valencia, Plinske served in a number of positions at McHenry County College, a community college located in the northwestern suburbs of Chicago. During her nine-year tenure there she progressed rapidly into positions of greater leadership, serving as a coordinator, director, executive director, associate vice president, vice president, and ultimately as the interim president.

Her experience includes distance education, professional development, institutional research, marketing and public relations, and institutional effectiveness. She also served as a Spanish instructor, with experience teaching face-to-face, hybrid, and online courses.

A graduate of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, Plinske attended Indiana University-Bloomington as a Herman B. Wells Scholar, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Physics with highest distinction and honors. She completed a master’s degree in Spanish from Roosevelt University, and a Doctorate in Educational Technology with honors from Pepperdine University.

Committed to advancing the community college mission, Plinske has published a number of articles in professional and peer-reviewed journals, and is frequently invited as a speaker at national and international conferences. She was selected as a community college leadership doctoral fellow by the University of San Diego and was recently recognized as one of 24 Emerging Leaders in the world by Phi Delta Kappa International.

In her role as a Valencia provost, Plinske will be responsible for providing academic, administrative and fiscal leadership for the Osceola Campus and the Valencia at Lake Nona High School site.